From June 1st and going forward, non essential appointments and annual examinations will resume following CDC guidelines. 

As I am sure you are aware, the visiting of a health care professional for medical or dental care was only permissible for chronic conditions or preventive services. 
As announced April 29th in Governor Newsom's phased reopening plan, and subsequently sanctioned locally; Healthcare providers will now be able to reschedule appointments canceled for all non urgent care at the time of the Public Health Order issuance. This change also includes elective and preventative procedures such as general care and immunizations.

We look forward to seeing you, while ensuring you utmost care and safety.

1. Stick to a sleep schedule.  Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.  As creatures of habit, people have a hard time adjusting to changes in sleep patterns.  Sleeping later on weekends won’t fully make up for a lack of sleep during the week and will make it harder to wake up early on Monday morning.  Set an alarm for bedtime.  Often, we set an alarm for when it’s time to wake up but ail to do so for when it’s time to go to sleep.  If there is only one piece of advice you remember and take from these twelve tips, this should be it.
2. Exercise is great, but not too late in the day.  Try to exercise at least thirty minutes on most days, but not later than two to three hours before your bedtime.
3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine.  Coffee, colas, certain teas and chocolate contain the stimulant caffeine, and its effects can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully.  Therefore, a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night.  Nicotine is also a stimulant, often causing smokers to sleep only very lightly.  In addition, smokers often wake up too early in the morning because of nicotine withdrawal.
4. Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed.  Having a nightcap or alcoholic beverage before sleep may help you relax, but heavy use robs you of REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep.  Heavy alcohol ingestion also may contribute to impairment in breathing at night.  You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the effects of the alcohol have worn off.
5. Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.  A light snack is okay, but a large meal can cause indigestion, which interferes with sleep.  Drinking too many fluids at night can cause frequent awakenings to urinate.
6. If possible, avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep.  Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter and herbal remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns.  If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see whether any drugs you’re taking might be contributing to your insomnia and ask whether they can be taken at other times during the day or early in the evening.
7. Don’t take naps after 3 pm.  Naps can help make up for lost sleep, but late afternoon naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
8. Relax before bed.  Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding.  A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.
9. Take a hot bath before bed.  The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help you relax and slow down so you’re more ready to sleep.
10. Dark bedroom, cool bedroom, gadget-free bedroom.  Get rid of anything in your bedroom that might distract you from sleep, such as noises, bright lights, an uncomfortable bed or warm temperatures.  You sleep better if the temperature in the room is kept on the cool side.  A TV, cell phone or computer in the bedroom can be a distraction and deprive you of needed sleep.  Having a comfortable mattress and pillow can help promote a good night’s sleep.  Individuals who have insomnia often watch the clock.  Turn the clock’s face out of view so you don’t worry about the time while trying to fall asleep.
11. Have the right sunlight exposure.  Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns.  Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least thirty minutes each day.  If possible, wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning.  Sleep experts recommend that, if you have problems falling asleep, you should get an hour of exposure to morning sunlight and turn down the lights before bedtime.
12. Don’t lie in bed awake.  If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, or if you are starting to feel anxious or worried, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy.  The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.

NIH Medline Plus (Internet). Bethesda, MD:  National Library of Medicine (US); summer 2012.  Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.  
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/magazine/issues/summer12/articles/summer12pg20.html

​For additional information visit my site: www.ruthhaskinsmd.com

We realize your time is precious with multiple things to juggle.  Sometimes kids, family, job, life, take priority over your health!  Well, we are happy to introduce Saturday office visits, starting January, in order to make your life that little bit easier.  Call us at 916.817.2649 to schedule your next appointment.

When my design and marketing consultant, Marco Ippaso of MiDESign and Marketing Consultancy contacted me to let me know we had won the GD USA Health and Wellness award for web design, I was delighted.  The journey has been pleasurable but long.  I thought the achievement was satisfying and perhaps warranted due to the hard work involved by all.  My consultant Marco's flattering fb post best describes his sentiments: 

'It is always wonderful to be recognized for one's work. I have had the pleasure of working with Ruth Haskins MD, OBGYN, former CMA president, health champion and political activist based in Folsom for some time. A wonderful, inspirational individual who for many years has championed health and wellness not only in her field of Obstetrical and Gynecologic care to women of all ages, but has actively contributed to insightful methods for improving doctor health, better patient care and patient rights throughout the medical field, both within California and throughout the country.  MiDESign has had the honor and charge of designing the Practice of Ruth Haskins MD's website, SEO, SM pages, digital marketing and printed collateral.

We have just been notified that we have received the GD USA Magazine award for www.ruthhaskinsmd.com. Graphic Design USA is one of the largest and most prestigious Graphic Design Publications in the Industry. I am delighted to have won the award as it showcases only the very best designs in the country receiving over 2,000 entries from design agencies and consultancies throughout the U.S.

The website started life as an overhaul of what was originally offered.  Over the months it has developed into a resource center for the entire practice, delivering information and providing visit requirements in a gentle, soft yet effective way, reflective of the wonderful work and care provided within the practice!

All I can say is thank you Ruth Haskins MD, thank you for the exceptional work that you and your team provide.  Thank you also for the opportunity and pleasure of working with you.'

The best protection against the flu is to get the flu shot.
 
Pregnant women are at higher risk of complications from the flu than women who are not pregnant.  They are more likely to develop serious complications like pneumonia and are more likely to be hospitalized.

Data from millions of women obtained over many years show that the flu shot is safe during pregnancy.

Pregnant women should get the flu shot as soon a possible after it is available.
Babies of women who get the flu shot during pregnancy receive antibodies against the flu.

This will protect them until they can get vaccinated at age 6 months.
The flu shot does not cause the flu.  The vaccine in the shot is made from either killed flu viruses or weakened flu viruses.  Neither are capable of causing flu illness.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches and headache.
People with these symptoms should be seen right away, whether they’ve had the vaccine or not.

Antiviral medication is safe in pregnancy – it is best when given within 48 hours of symptom onset.

It can be given to pregnant and postpartum women who have been exposed to the flu.

While the flu shot is the best protection against the flu, additional precautions include washing hands frequently, covering the mouth and nose with coughing or sneezing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick.

This is excellent advice from the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

For more information and or advice contact me, Ruth Haskins MD, and visit www.ruthhaskinsmd.com